What did you do in the garden today?

[PopoMyers]

The apples on my tree down by the road seem to be getting popular with the neighbors. Yesterday a car stopped by and asked if they could pick a few apples, and I gave permission. Today I was mowing the yard and there was a car stopped on the road, evidently eyeballing MY apples.

I drove my mower towards the tree, the car started moving and I intently watched it leave, trying to give them the hint that those were MY apples! I'd hate to go down to pick apples one day and find the tree stripped of fruit.

So today I went down and picked a good half bushel of the best apples I could reach. At least now I'll know for sure that I'll have enough for dehydrating, and I want to try my hand at making sauce and apple butter too. I already have the apple cider the butter recipe calls for.

Yup, one year someone picked all my neighbor's apples. Her trees were located far from her house, within sight from the road. After that we moved her trees up closer to her house. They have been doing better than before. We figured out that they had been planted on/near a former logging trail which had been treated ages ago with a growth retardant.

 

[PopoMyers]

Yesterday, I picked a mess of kale, and cooked it with some German smoked elk sausage from my cousin. Also picked dahlias to bring inside. I am always sad when frost kills them.

 

[Smokerbill]

Cranberry beans. I only save the heavier duty meat trays that aren't cracked, and run them through my dishwasher on no heat dry.

I was going to guess they were cranberry beans. Your meat-tray-saving method is identical to mine! They're great trays for catching runoff from watering potted garden starts, among other things.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Garlic needs to have cold when planted to do well and make bulbs in the spring. What kind of soil do you have? You will get them to sprout inside, but they will most likely not bulb up. What zone do you live in? Here in 8b, I plant after nights are reliably in the 40's. Coming up around the end of this month.
Also, make sure to buy garlic for planting. The ones in grocery stores might be treated with a sprouting inhibitor.

Soil: About 1/2 to two thirds of bagged potting soil/topsoil and 1/2 to 1/3 cow manure. (It’s always been in containers.) Added some perlite to the pot this time too.
Zone: 5b.

How cold does it need to be? I have a room that doesn’t get heated in the winter (keeps the electric bill down).

Never had issues getting the grocery store garlic to sprout before, it’s the not rotting in the spring part that’s the issue.

 

[Smokerbill]

Soil: About 1/2 to two thirds of bagged potting soil/topsoil and 1/2 to 1/3 cow manure. (It’s always been in containers.) Added some perlite to the pot this time too.
Zone: 5b.

How cold does it need to be? I have a room that doesn’t get heated in the winter (keeps the electric bill down).

Never had issues getting the grocery store garlic to sprout before, it’s the not rotting in the spring part that’s the issue.

This might be useful to you.

https://how-to-grow.org/zp/v/garlic-in-zone-5b

 

[Minanora]

The small human and I planted the peas this evening! By solar path light. Lol. We used it like a flashlight. Good times. Good times. ^_^

 

[cj2024]

So would I. I have a young tahitian lime that's doing pretty well.

I have a small 2-year-old lime bush that produces a lot of small lime. It seems like I never run out of them. I let the ripe yellow lime fall off the tree and only use them when I need them in Thai sauces and soup.

 

[cj2024]

I'm bringing the last productive pepper plant & 2 awesome tomato plants indoors...give it a shot with grow lights.

You might want to spray those plants down with Captain Jacks neem oil before bringing them in.

 

[TJAnonymous]

You are fortunate to live in a frostfreeze free place. Our other person loves in Arkansas, so they will have to pick them before the weather turns.

I'm in Arkansas... I have my lemon tree potted in an old livestock mineral tub. I bring mine inside for the winter when temperatures drop below 45 degrees.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Do let us know how it works. Have you ever watched Mouse Trap Mondays on You Tube?

No, never heard of it. We didn't catch anything last night but DH kept it in the barn. I told him it needs to go out by the coops because that's where we are overrun with rats!